Cornerback LaMarcus Farmer and the UAB defense have gotten better over the last two weeks.Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - UAB head coach Garrick McGee had some simple words of encouragement for his defense the week after the Blazers fell to 1-7, two days after getting torched by Tulane in a 55-45 loss.

"Coach McGee told us to play lights out and just cut it loose," linebacker Greg Irvin said. "(Against) Southern Miss, just cut loose. Don't worry about next week, don't worry about going to a bowl game, don't worry about the outside pressure, just play."

UAB's defense, albeit a unit that plays with several freshman, has certainly had its struggles against Conference USA teams. Tulsa scored 49, Houston 39, East Carolina 42 and Tulane, which was scoring 13.6 points per game, blew up for 55 against UAB on Oct. 20.

But something clicked after that. UAB gave up just 295 yards to Southern Miss in a 27-19 win. Both of Southern Miss' touchdowns came after Blazer blunders - one a turnover inside the 10-yard line and another on a failed fourth down play at the UAB 32 in the final minutes of the first half.

UAB gave up just a field goal to USM in the second half, but really shined the next week against Marshall. The Thundering Herd brought Conference USA's most prolific offense to legion field, getting 530 yards per game.

The Blazers had a new wrinkle, dropping eight into coverage and daring the Herd to run. They tried, ineffectively, before finally clicking a bit in the second half. Still, UAB held Marshall to just 337 yards in a 38-31 win. UAB (3-7, 2-4 Conference USA) hosts Memphis (2-8, 2-4) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Legion Field.

"I think the light's come on for whatever reason," defensive coordinator Reggie Johnson said. "It's a great testament to how hard they've been working and those guys trusting what we're teaching."

Even with the scheme change specifically geared to slow down Marshall's spread offense, UAB's players still had to make the plays.

"We're paying attention to the small details and everybody's on the same page," Irvin said. "A lot of the plays we gave up (earlier this season), each guy was doing something he wasn't coached to do."

UAB players compared Memphis' offense to UAB's, which is now more balanced with the goal of establishing the run first.

"That's what it'll be like, stopping our own offense," safety Lamar Johnson said. "t'll be something we're used to seeing all the time so it'll be pretty good."